


Wings of Metal

by PrinceofBadassery



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Wings, Amputee Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky has a metal wing, Gen, M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Wingfic, technically incorrect titel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-03-15 21:11:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13621749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceofBadassery/pseuds/PrinceofBadassery
Summary: This is a collection of scenes from my wing!AU. There is no real storyline here but it is about Bucky recovering and Tony and him getting close. It involves fluff and wing maintenance, angst, preening, sand baths and whatever else I can come up with or inspires me. (Suggestions are welcome)





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> I've had ideas for a wing!fic for a long time now but never had a storyline and I will probably continue to not have a real plot, instead, this is going to be a collection of scenes of Bucky living with the Avengers that is mostly Bucky/Tony focused. I've finally been inspired to write something by Tisfan's and beir's fic on ITAB, which got the creative juices flowing again.

"Where is his arm? They built him an entire new wing but they didn't give him an arm?"

"It's HYDRA, who knows what's going on in their twisted minds," Natasha said, but Tony wasn't satisfied with the answer. 

"Wouldn't a fully functional 'weapon' be more deadly?" Tony made the air quotes before studying the man behind the observation window again.

"Trust me, he doesn't need it." Steve's voice was still hoarse when he stepped into the room, having escaped the medical officers that hat hovered around him for the last three hours. He had a bandage around his head and his wings were taped up tightly to his back, both of them broken and even in their folded state it was obvious that a good chunk of feathers was missing. Cut clean off like someone had taken a sharp sword to them. The super-soldier would be grounded for some time. 

Steve stepped next to Tony, placing a hand on the one-way glass. Deep exhaustion edged into the Captain's face, something Tony hadn't seen since the battle of New York. "How is he?"

"Surprisingly docile," Natasha said. "I doubt we could have brought him in without casualties if he hadn't cooperated." 

"Has he said anything?" 

"No." 

The man in question was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the holding cell beyond the one-way window. His head was bowed down and his long brown hair was hiding his face. He was eerily still and hadn't moved since they had brought him into the room. Behind him, his wings were splayed out. One was a rich brown color that faded into blacker primary and secondary feathers the other was pure silver made entirely out of metal, each "feather" with razor sharp edges and coming to a fine point at the tip. 

Steve had been lucky he had only lost a few feathers and not an entire limb, Tony thought. He had seen the video of their fight. Usually, in aerial combat the wings were the most vulnerable, they were big and an easy target and if injured a fighter could be taken out in an instant. It was also incredibly hard to construct any kind of armor for them that wouldn't impede mobility. Tony knew, he had tried. Every flyer's instinct was to keep their wings out of harm's way. 

Not so the Winter Soldier. He used his wing as a weapon, barreling straight into his opponent and cutting everything in his way, feathers and limbs alike. The metal wing was as deadly as it was beautiful. Tony couldn't wait to get his hands on it and study it.

"It's time we interrogate him." Natasha turned to the door

"I'll come with you," Steve said and followed her.

Natasha frowned and an average man would have taken everything back seeing that look on her face.

"He's my friend. I should be there." 

"He's not the man you used to know, Steve." 

"He remembers me. I know it, he wouldn't have caught me otherwise. He saved my life."

After a long scrutinizing pause from Natasha, she finally nodded and they both left the observation room.

\----------

2 months later...

"I won't fly, Steve." 

"The flight ban is only for public spaces, Buck." 

"I know." 

Tony's newest house guest had just stepped off the elevator with Steve and Tony just caught the last tidbits of their conversation. Tony had offered his tower for the next step of Bucky's rehabilitation, and not just because he wanted to be the lead engineer to help with Bucky's mechanical problems. 

He had read Bucky's file, what HYDRA had done to him, the torture, the body-modification. Tony felt a great deal of empathy for the man, without really knowing him. While his own torture ordeal hadn't nearly been as long, after his time in the cave he had wanted to be as high up as possible, be in an open space, see the sky. The opposite of what he had to live through in the dark and cramped cave. Even if he couldn't fly properly anymore - not on his own at least - Tony had designed the tower to be just that. 

SHIELD had kept Bucky trapped in an underground bunker that might have just as well been another HYDRA base. Unsurprisingly it had done nothing for Bucky's mental state. Tony was about to change that and he figured giving him back some of the freedom he had lost was a good first step. Plus in SHIELD custody he ha never been violent, not once. They had subjected him to rigorous interrogations and tests. While he hadn't regained much of his memories, he had very much regained his independence over the last two months and stated very clearly that he did not want to go back to HYDRA. There was just no more ground to keep him like a prisoner.

"No need to fly, metal wing, there are perfectly fine elevators and stairs on every level." Tony approached them with open arms, keeping his wings close to his back for now. Unsurprisingly Bucky tucked his uneven pair even closer, his original one almost disappeared behind his back while the metal one apparently had a certain limit on how far it could be folded. Even closed it stuck out considerably, the razor-sharp feathers neatly lined up in rows. 

While Steve was dressed casually, Bucky was still in the SHIELD issued t-shirt and sweatpants. He looked so very unlike the person Tony had last seen in the holding cell two months ago dressed in tight black leather. He'd have JARVIS make some estimations on what size Bucky was and get him some comfortable clothes to wear, maybe even custom fitted if Bucky wanted that. Tony's gaze fell onto the empty sleeve of his shirt and he once again wondered why HYDRA, being so technically advanced to be able to graft a deadly mechanical wing onto someone, didn't also give him an arm. Tony wanted to fix that as well.

"Tony, thanks for having us." Steve enveloped him in a bear hug, his enormous golden wings blocking out all light for a moment as he wrapped them around Tony. 

"No problem, Cap. Let's show our new resident his nest." 

"Of course." Finally, Steve let go and Tony could breathe again. 

"Come on, Buck, Tony is going to give you a tour of the tower."

Bucky tentatively stepped further into the room and his eyes suddenly went wide.Tony smirked at the reaction, it never failed to amuse him when people first walked into the tower and realized the interior was completely open. The entire top ten floors of the tower were hollow, the floors lining the outside in circles with strategically placed landing spaces here and there. The sheer size of it was already breathtaking but to top it all off the roof was entirely made out of glass letting daylight stream into every nook and cranny. 

Steve laughed. "See, I told you, you could fly in here." 

Bucky closed his mouth and looked down, shaking his head. "I won't." 

Steve's face fell in tandem with his wings and he stepped towards his friend who took a step back. "Bucky..." 

"Please show me to my cell now." Bucky turned away and Tony noticed he always preferred to have his right side towards people, away from the metal wing. 

"Woah, who said anything about a cell? You're going to live here now, Edward Scissorwing. Nest and all, free to roam wherever you want."

Bucky nodded timidly after a moment but he didn't seem convinced. He reluctantly followed Tony and Steve up the stairs only when both of them were in front of him. He didn't want anybody near his back, Tony made a mental note. He probably wouldn't either if he had a wing made of literal blades, he thought. 

Tony lead him around the different levels, showing him the community areas, the kitchens and where the rooms of the other Avengers were.

"Steve's is right here and this one is yours, it's on the west side so you get the evening sun if that's alright. We can find you another room if you are more of a morning sun person." Tony opened the door with a flourish and strode inside. "Each apartment has a kitchen and a bathroom, complete with bathing pool and integrated shower and my patented feather dryer. You don't rust do you?"

Bucky shook his head. He seemed very uncertain about the whole situation so Tony barreled on with his talking. 

"The nest is over here." He walked towards a set of floor to ceiling windows where a big round indentation in the floor was filled with a soft cushion. The brim was higher than the middle leaving a perfectly sized dent in the center for someone to curl up in and comfortably rest their wings on the cushion. A colorful assortment of pillows and blankets was on the shelves next to it. "Completely customizable of course, JARVIS can order you some more stuff if you want something in particular. And he can also adjust the shades for you, just talk to him. He's nice, aren't you, J?" 

"Of course, Sir. It would be my pleasure, Mr. Barnes, if I can be of assistance to you." 

Bucky flinched and spun around, looking for someone behind him. The movement caused a series of clicking noises as the blades on his wing moved against each other.

"Buck, that's just JARVIS, he's an AI and lives in the walls." 

"I beg your pardon, Captain Rogers, I do not live in the walls or the ceiling for that matter," JARVIS answered promptly and mildly annoyed.

"Oh." The face Steve made was hilarious and Tony burst out laughing. Steve fluffed up his wings in annoyance. "I thought that would be easier to understand than computers and servers and all that." He crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

"I know what a server is, Steve." Bucky let his wings unfold a little, finally relaxing, and if Tony wasn't completely mistaken - and he rarely was - there was a tiny smile on Bucky's lips when he looked at Steve's flustered state.


	2. Chapter 2

Having someone else in the tower with non-perfect wings made Tony a little less self-conscious about his own damaged wings. It was a horrible thought, Tony knew that, but it was nice not being the only one who stood at the edge of the balcony and watched the other's soar through the atrium. Bucky could still fly, he could fly extremely well, he just chose not to and Tony could probably understand him better than any other person could. He could fly with his suit, or just the boots and gauntlets if he wasn't on a mission, but the propulsion blasts where extremely hot and if he wasn't careful and got to close to someone in mid-air, he could do anything from a harmless singed feather tip to third-degree burns in an instant. 

Bucky had it even worse with a literal death machine attached to his back. Not only did he not want to fly out of fear of hurting people with his metal wing, he stayed far away from people on the ground as well, always keeping his back to the wall and choosing the outer most edge of the cushions on the rare times when he would join them for meals. Often Bucky wouldn't even use the cushions and instead sit on the floor. It always reminded Tony of the first time he had seen him in that holding cell and he wondered if maybe Bucky wasn't comfortable with the cushions after being held a prisoner for so long. He'd have to look into that.

It was a cold day outside but the sun was shining and the tower was comfortably warm thanks to the glass roof. The rest of the Avengers used the opportunity to prance around in the air. Clint and Natasha were doing their friendship dance, which was more of a sparing session, dodging in and out of each other's reach, occasionally forming a tangled mess of limbs and wings before separating again, laughing heartily. Sam and Steve were chasing each other around the outer perimeter, Tony wasn't sure who was chasing who.

Tony sat on the edge of the balcony, content to watch his teammate be happy in the home he had given them. They all had their burdens and quirks but in their tower they could be free. He had spread his wings out behind him, his muscles were sore from being hunched over in the lab the whole day and he could use a good massage and a nice preening. Tony wished Pepper was here, her hands did wonders to his poor wings, but she was busy doing Pepper stuff and with Pepper stuff he meant running a Fortune 500 company almost by herself. She could be excused. 

"You can't fly." 

Lost in his thoughts Tony hadn't noticed the man sneak up on him. How Bucky could be so silent when moving around with essentially several kitchen drawers worth of cutlery attached to him was beyond Tony. It should have been like putting a bell on a cat, except more deadly.

"Only half true." Tony had long made peace with the fact that his wings had never fully recovered after the torture of the Ten Rings, he had survived and he had remade himself into a better man and a better flyer.

"You are missing secondaries." Bucky stayed back, far out of view from the people soaring above them. 

Tony kicked his legs and looked up at Steve and the others. "You're right. Not many people notice, I can't achieve lift but I can still glide and maneuver. And I fly differently and faster than everybody else." There was more than just the missing feathers that never grew back, there were ways to fix that, but after having his wings broken several times during his capture they had not healed properly, even after surgery to straighten out the bones his muscles and tendons were not strong enough to carry him into the air anymore.

"That's good." Bucky didn't sound sarcastic or duplicitous like Tony had come to expect when the topic of his wings came up. Bucky sounded sincerely happy for Tony. The other man shuffled around a bit and Tony could hear the soft clicking of his wing, it sounded like a melody just waiting to be played by a whole orchestra. "I wanted to thank you." 

Tony turned to look at him, he couldn't remember doing anything for Bucky that required thanks.

At Tony's confused look Bucky swallowed before speaking again. "I wanted to thank you for giving me shelter and letting me stay here. It's more than I deserve." 

Tony got up and approached the man, his heart broke when Bucky flinched away ready to retreat and then rooted himself to the spot like someone had hit the ABORT button in his brain. Tony didn't miss how he tugged his metal wing further behind his back and away from Tony. He stopped a few meters away not wanting to upset Bucky anymore. Closeness was not something he wanted right now and he respected that.

"No need to thank me, Buckeroo." He held up a hand when Bucky opened his mouth to protest. "You're Cap's long-lost BFF, of course, you can stay here. And even if you weren't. I think the longest POW in the history of this country, hell, probably of the world should get the best there is to buy with money and influence. You're fucking war hero, buddy. And from what I've seen from you, you're also a pretty nice guy, not to say wickedly handsome."

Bucky looked somewhere between embarrassed and appalled and Tony mentally slapped himself to get the faulty mouth-to-brain connection to work again. Good job alienating your house guest, Tony, his brain helpfully supplied, might as well go all the way and ask what had been on Tony's mind 

"It's got to be over three months now since someone did maintenance on your wing. Do you need someone to look at it?" 

And suddenly Bucky's expression was easier to read. Textbook terror. 

"Wow there buddy." Tony held up his hands, showing he meant no harm. "I just asked. Nothing needs to happen. Bet those HYDRA folks weren't exactly gentle and the SHIELD agents probably weren't much better with their poking and prodding, but if or when you need one, if you're hurting or uncomfortable. I can get you the best mechanic in the world and we'll do it entirely on your terms, alright? Nobody is going to force you." 

Bucky calmed down if coming down a notch from a fight-or-flight response just mere seconds ago could be called that. He wrapped his arm around himself and looked to the ground, his eyes focusing on something that wasn't there but was probably only too real in his head. "Who?" He finally asked and Tony almost missed it, then he grinned.

"Me." 

Bucky looked up and Tony couldn't resist presenting a little for show, fluttering his wings a bit more open to the sun would reflect the deep red undertones his normally brown feathers had. Bucky's eyes widened and his mouth hung slightly agape, the moment only lasted a second before Bucky forcefully closed his mouth and shook his head.

"You don't have to do that... I don't want to hurt you. It's dangerous." Bucky shook his head again, his shoulders dropping and a deep sadness filling his eyes. Tony's heart broke for a second time today and really didn't people know he had a heart condition? 

"What if I was willing to take the risk?" Tony said, letting it show in his voice how serious he was.

Bucky shook his head again, closing his eyes, so Tony continued.

"I've hurt myself on my projects before, cut myself, burned myself, gave myself a concussion once... or twice, can't remember. Thing is, I'm a mechanic, injuries happen all the time and I can deal with that. A few cuts here or there don't bother me."

Bucky didn't look convinced if anything he looked determinedly like the opposite of convinced. He was extremely tense and didn't look at Tony, he radiated an aura of misery that made Tony want to hug the man and never let go. 

"How about we go the lab?" Tony suggested, putting on an easy going smile. 

Bucky's eyes widened in terror and he backed away. "No, I don't...you said..." 

Tony realized how bad that had just sounded. Going to the lab most likely equaled being dragged to some experiment kicking and screaming for Bucky. Poor choice of words.

"I meant in general, like a tour. I'll show you around?" Tony stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "I just thought you might want to see what I got down there, get familiar with the place before you make a decision." Tony grinned. "And my lab assistant is already eager to meet you."

That got Bucky to look up. "There's someone else living in the tower?" 

"Not exactly. You'll see." Tony fluttered his wings excitedly. "Come on, I'll show you the future."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going into some darker territory now.

The lab was a bright place. Much like the common areas on the top of the tower, Tony had wanted it to be filled with sunlight and even though the lab was further down and didn't have access to the sun directly Tony had managed to accomplish it by using a system of mirrors that that brought the sunlight down into the lab. Special lenses diffused the light so it flooded every corner of the lab and made anyone that stepped into it feel like they were outside. At night, sunlight lamps served a similar purpose.

Tony strode into the room first while Bucky lingered in the doorway. "Welcome to my humble abode. This is where all the magic happens, well, not actual magic, but high tech gadgetry and advanced machinery and occasionally archaic hunting weapons." He turned to Bucky. "And this is where I could do maintenance on your wing. What do you say?"

Bucky looked around uncertainly, his wings tugged in close, he still hadn't come into the room.

"You can come in. Take a look around."

"Where's your assistant?"

"Oh, right." Tony looked around. "Dum-E? Where are you, buddy, come out and meet Bucky-boo over here." Suddenly, excited beeping came from a faraway corner of the lab and then the robot came rolling around a workbench, flapping its small useless wings that Tony had made out of his own shed feathers.

"Bucky, meet Dum-E." Tony grinned when a look of awe spread over Bucky's face when he laid eyes on Tony's robot child.

Dum-E rolled over to him and for once Bucky didn't back away. Tony had hoped that would be the case and it confirmed his suspicion. Bucky didn't want to hurt people with his metal wing, didn't even want to come close to someone to risk cutting them. Dum-E was a robot, almost completely made of metal, he couldn't be hurt.

Tony's heart skipped a beat when Bucky reached out and touched Dum-E's claw, in return Dum-E started chirping and rotating his base in place, keeping his claw firmly against Bucky's hand. To Tony's surprise, a small smile crept up on Bucky's face.

"Come on in now, I'll show you some projects I'm working on."

With Dum-E at his side, Bucky finally stepped into the lab and Tony started to lead him around the desks and workspaces where he had various on-going projects, like new body armor for Steve or Natasha's widow bites. Tony didn't fail to notice that Bucky still kept his distance and when possible kept something between them, a desk most of the times or Dum-E on occasion.

It wouldn't be an easy task to get Bucky to trust Tony enough to let him work on his metal wing and to get Bucky to trust himself enough to let someone close to his back would most likely be even harder.

There was always more to show and see in Tony's lab but after half an hour Tony leaned against one of the workbenches and let his wings fall open in a comfortable position. Bucky poked at one of the gadgets that mimicked a Perpetuum Mobile, he seemed fascinated by the continuous movement.

"Bucky?" Tony started softly, not wanting to alarm the man. "Can I ask you a question?"

Bucky looked up, his gaze traveled to the door for a moment, checking if his exit route was still open, before he nodded.

Tony smiled. "How do you like this place?"

Bucky raised his eyebrows in confusion, he had probably expected a different kind of question. He looked around again, scanning the room and eying especially Dum-E for a while. "It's nice."

"Would you feel safe here? To let me work on your wing?"

That made Bucky tense up. The metal feathers clicked against each other one by one from the minute movement and Bucky sucked in a sharp breath. He didn't say anything.

"Bucky?" Tony frowned.

"You don't... you don't have the right equipment for maintenance." Bucky looked away, wrapping his arm around his stomach. That hadn't been a downright refusal but it also wasn't an answer.

"I can get any tool I would need, if necessary I'll make the tool. That's not a problem." Tony tried to reassure but Bucky shook his head, he was starting to breath harder now, his expression pained. "What am I missing, Bucky?"

"You don't have the table...the restraints." Bucky choked out and Tony's eyes went wide. Those HYDRA assholes, Tony should have figured that they gave Bucky a hell of a time when he needed work done. Probably made it as uncomfortable and painful as possible.

He resisted the urge to step towards and comfort Bucky, knowing it would only distress him further, instead, he gestured for Dum-E to come closer and the robot slowly rolled over and touched his claw to Bucky's elbow.

"What did HYDRA do, Bucky?" He asked quietly and hoped Bucky wouldn't take the question as a suggestion that'd they'd do the same here as well.

After several tense seconds where all that could be heard in the lab was Bucky's labored breathing, he swallowed and then unclenched his fist. He didn't look up but he slowly moved his arm to rest his hand on Dum-E's claw. The robot let out a low comforting purr.

"They strapped me down. On this table. Face first." Bucky said slowly. "They had this... contraption. Metal bars that came from above and beneath. They clamped my wing into it. Holding me still." Bucky's hand clenched around the top of Dum-E's claw.

"Bucky, I'm not going to do any of that, I swear. That's barbaric! Horrible! I want you to be comfortable here, I'm not going to strap you down on a table to do maintenance. We're not HYDRA." Tony stood up straighter, his wings flaring out. He was angry, furious at what HYDRA had done to Bucky.

"You need to if you want to be safe," Bucky said almost inaudibly and Tony blanched.

"No. I'm not going to do that. I said earlier that I trust you not to hurt me on purpose and that still holds true. We'll have to find another way."

Bucky shook his head and backed away. "You can't help me." His metal wing was scraping against the table as he continued to move away from Tony and towards the door. "Nobody can." Only when he was halfway across the lab and far away from Tony did Bucky turn around and ran out of the door.

Dum-E beeped sadly.

"I know, buddy." Tony hung his head, his wings drooping as well. "I'm going to find a way to help him."

This wasn't just about doing maintenance on the wing, Bucky strictly didn't need it now, he might not need it for a few more months and if Tony didn't find a way that was comfortable for Bucky he wouldn't push the issue. This was about trust, about showing Bucky that this was a safe place, that he was safe in the tower, that he was safe with the Avengers and showing him that he was not a threat to other people simply by existing in the same space.

Tony huffed and shook his wings. He was ready for the challenge. Shooing Dum-E out of the way and pulling over a stool he got to work by first bringing up some of Bucky's files. He wanted to see what this contraption looked like to avoid anything that would remind Bucky of it. Any similarities, even remote ones, had to be avoided.

The first thing Tony noticed and what Bucky had failed to mention was that the contraption actually clamped both of Bucky's wings, not only the metal one. It was essentially a cage that surrounded both of his wings holding them in place. Just by looking at it Tony felt sick, it had to hurt like hell having your wings bent in that way and he knew a thing or two about that.

He swiped the images off the screens. He was going at this from the wrong angle.

What Bucky was most afraid of was hurting someone with his razor sharp feathers. Even if he would hold still there was always the chance that he could twitch involuntarily or a malfunction in the wing would cause a feather to move and slice Tony's hands when he worked.

This wasn't about forcing Bucky to hold perfectly still...

Suddenly Tony knew what he had to do and he went to work straight away.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony needed two days to finish his new project. He had dismantled an old framework that had once held an Iron Man suit that no longer existed to build the new contraption that he hoped would convince Bucky to let him work on his metal wing.

He was excited. It had turned out quite well and he couldn't wait to show Bucky what he had done. He went over everything once more before he got JARVIS to invite Bucky down to the lab.

"Mr. Barnes is on his way, Sir." The AI announced and stopped Tony in his pacing for a moment. He fluttered his wings in excitement and rubbed his hands together. Dum-E came rolling around the corner and chirped and trilled what his transistors could manage. The robot would play a vital role in Tony's plan, it had been obvious that Bucky had taken a liking to him.

Tony spotted Bucky exit the elevator through the glass windows. As always he had his wings tugged in and his head lowered, his single arm wrapped around himself. He was only wearing a T-shirt this time, instead of the usual baggy sweater and Tony could see how the shirt wasn't fitting properly due to the different sized wing joints on his back. The metal one was a lot bigger and bulkier than his own natural one. HYDRA had not managed to mimic the graceful way a normal wing attached to someone's back. Probably also a reason why they hadn't given Bucky an arm as well.

"Hey, Bucky," Tony greeted him cheerfully and Dum-E immediately rolled up to him to welcome him into the lab flapping his tiny wings. "I'm glad you came back." Tony had been careful not to put any pressure on Bucky when he invited him back.

"Hey," Bucky said slowly, he looked around the lab warily and his eyes fell on the tarp-covered box that Tony stood next to. "Is that...?"

Tony grinned. "Yes!" With a flourish, he pulled the tarp away to reveal it. It was, in essence, a metal cage on wheels, big enough to fit a standing human comfortably inside and while three sides were open the fourth was covered in sturdy wire mesh sectioned into panels. It somewhat resembled a shark cage on wheels except it would only protect whoever stood inside from one side.

Tony looked to Bucky to see his reaction only to look into his terrified face.

Bucky backed away until his wings hit the counter behind him and he couldn't go any further. "You said... you said..." He was breathing hard and staring at the cage with wide eyes.

"Woah, Bucky." Tony held up his hands. "This isn't for you."

Bucky tore his eyes away from the cage and looked at Tony. "What?" he breathed.

"It's for me." Tony clarified.

When Bucky's expression only turned more confused Tony quickly went behind the workstation next to him and pulled out the rolling stool he had prepared. It had a leather cushion and could be adjusted in height. He pushed it in front of the cage and presented it to Bucky. "This is for you."

Bucky frowned, still confused but at least he looked less terrified. Tony continued to explain. "You sit here." He gestured to the stool. "With your back against this." He patted the metal frame of the cage and avoided calling it a cage on purpose. "And I'm in here." Tony stepped into the framework and then pushed one of the panels at waist height to the side and it easily slid open. Tony leaned down and peaked through, grinning at Bucky. "See?"

Bucky's eyes traveled from the cage to Tony to the stool and back a few times. Slowly he relaxed a little but he didn't seem convinced.

"I'll demonstrate it." Tony stepped out of the cage and sat down on the stool. He pushed himself into position and then stretched his left wing to the side until he could touch it to the closed side of the cage. "You just have to sit here and hold your wing in place and then I can work on it from inside the shell and even if you move a little I'm not in danger." He wiggled his wing around a little to prove his point. "And Dum-E here," The robot perked up when he heard his name. "Can help you hold still. Dum-E, come and show our friend what you learned yesterday."

With happy clicking noises Dum-E rolled over to Tony's outstretched wing and then ever so carefully clamped onto the leading edge of the wing. Tony relaxed and let Dum-E bear some of the weight of his wing. It wasn't the most comfortable position in the world but it didn't hurt, he felt the pressure of Dum-E holding on but that was it and Tony bet that Bucky wouldn't even feel that. "Dum-E is very careful and he will let go if you pull away." Tony did just that and his wing slipped out of Dum-E's claw without a feather misplaced.

"What do you say?" Tony looked up at Bucky. "You want to try it out?" Dum-E chirped encouragingly.

Tony could see how Bucky's brain was working through it, he looked to Dum-E and the cage and Tony's still half stretched wing. His experiences probably told him to not do it but Tony saw a certain curiosity and longing in his eyes that told him Bucky was almost ready to do the first step and Tony still had an ace up his sleeve.

Tony rolled to the near-by workbench with the stool and brought Bucky out of his thoughts. "I've got one more thing for you." He picked up a StarkPad and turned it around so Bucky could see the screen. It was showing three different camera angles from inside and outside of the cage and one black square in the bottom left corner. Tony rolled back to his previous position and his back came into view in all of the frames. "There are cameras inside that will show you exactly what I'm doing behind your back and with your wing. Oh, and this last one-." He pointed to the black frame. "-is this." Tony fished a headband with a go-pro from the table. "Don't judge, it's a work in progress." 

"What do you say?" He put it on and grinned at Bucky, knowing full well that he looked ridiculous.

Bucky stared at him with wide eyes. "You...you did all this... for me?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. I told you I would do everything to make you comfortable here but if there's something I need to change just tell me." Tony got up and took a few steps towards Bucky. "Different stool or chair? I'll get you one you like. You don't want a bot touching you? No problem. You want more bots for security? I got two more that can help. More cameras? Just tell me what you need."

When Bucky didn't answer and instead covered his face with his hand Tony took another step closer. "Bucky?"

But Bucky backed away and shook his head, a small sob escaping him. Tony ached to comfort him, to get close and hug him but he knew he couldn't do that. With a small gestured he beckoned Dum-E closer and the bot responded by rolling over to Bucky and touching his claw to the man's elbow. If Tony had to offer comfort with Dum-E as proxy he could do that.

"Too much?" Tony asked softly and berated himself at the same time. He should have known, he overshot the goal by miles and now Bucky was suffering again when he only wanted to help.

Bucky nodded but didn't move otherwise even as Dum-E started to slowly rub up and down his arm. At least he didn't move away from the touch.

"You don't have to decide now, there's no pressure, you know that," Tony assured again but Bucky shook his head this time and finally looked up. His eyes cheeks were tear-streaked when he looked into the distance of the lab and he took a few shaky breaths before he shook his head again.

"No..." He slowly rested his hand on Dum-E's arm and looked at the bot fondly. "Just... overwhelmed. I think... I think I can do it this way."

Tony wasn't sure if he had heard correctly but then a huge smile spread over his face. "Great! That's great!" Tony was practically vibrating with joy and his wings flared out. "Now? Later? Tomorrow? We can start whenever you want."

Bucky wiped his face with his sleeve and for the first time since he entered the lab looked somewhat relaxed. "If I think about it any longer I'll back out again." He said and then looked at Tony and smiled. It was a tiny thing, barely visible but the corners of his mouth certainly moved and Tony's heart nearly burst from joy.

"Okay. Yes. Now. We can do that!" He started to walk over to Bucky to hand him the tablet but remembered to stop himself before he got too close. Bucky already flinched minutely at his approach. He held out the tablet for Bucky and let the other man make the decision whether to approach or not. When Bucky didn't move after several seconds and just looked at the tablet Tony already feared he had ruined things again. "I can put it on the table here."

"No." Bucky straightened himself and tugged his wings closer, then slowly took a step towards Tony and reached out. This was the closest they had ever been and Tony was so proud of Bucky for coming this far.

As soon as Bucky took the tablet Tony stepped back and gave him his space, he flapped his wings excitedly and hurried to get everything ready. Gathering tools and dropping them onto a metal cart. He suspected he wouldn't be doing much tinkering and more of a basic cleaning for the first time working at the wing but he wanted to be prepared for anything.

Tony adjusted the go-pro on his forehead and then stepped into the cage. "Let's get this show on the road!"


End file.
